Edmonton's green onion cakes span from flaky to pillowy across the city's best spots

Siu To arrived in Edmonton in 1978 from Qingdao, China, with no professional culinary background but a strong desire to share his culture. He didn't know what else to call the cong you bing — a beloved North China grab-and-go dish of dough rolled and folded with oil and minced green onions — so he called it a "green onion cake." The name stuck, even though it has nothing in common with birthday cake.

After opening Happy Garden restaurant in 1980, To began selling green onion cakes at major local festivals, earning the nickname "The Green Onion Cake Man" — now his business name. "It is a simple recipe," he says. "I have never put myself on a pedestal because there is no right or wrong way to do it, it is always being reinvented." He's proud to have introduced the dish to Edmonton but equally pleased to see other restaurants drawing inspiration from it.

Edmonton's green onion cake scene now reflects distinct takes on the concept. At Green Onion Cake Man (9132 118 Ave NW), the specialty is chewy and stretchy — the classic for a reason. It offers the right level of oniony undertones without being overpowering, and it's more pancake than intensely fluffy bread. Saigon Taste (10383 112 St NW) presents a different balance: chewy inside, flaky outside, with a pillowy bread feel and a subtle onion flavour balanced by the right amount of salt.

An Chay (11203 Jasper Ave) takes a cracker-like approach, with stacks of folded, donut-shaped breads featuring a golden-brown exterior. The dough is front and centre, with onion taste taking a backseat — the kind of green onion cake many associate with festival season at the Fringe.

Whether you prefer yours with prominent onion kick or emphasizing the crispy exterior, Edmonton's green onion cake landscape offers something for every preference. To's legacy isn't just the dish itself — it's the spirit of reinvention that's made it a permanent fixture on the city's food scene.